Firing mechanism for firearms



July 10, 1945. J. w. NORMAN FIRING MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS Filed Oct. 7, 1943 Patented July 10, 1945 UNITED, STATES FIRING MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS Joseph W. Norman,

to Smith and Wesson, Inc.,

Springfield, Mass, assignor Springfield, Mass, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application October 7, 1943, Serial No. 505,264

8 Claims. (01. 42-69) v This invention rel-ates to firearms of the semiautomatic type, in which the hammer or other firing member is automatically disconnected from the trigger after each shot, and more particularly to the firing mechanism of such firearms.

Objects of the invention are to provide firing mechanism of the type referred to which is simple and economical in production, which is reliable and durable in use, which can be assembled and disassembled with facility, which requires a minimum number of parts and which is generally superior to prior mechanisms for similar' purposes.

According to the present-invention the firearm comprises a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, and means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, together with a single spring for yieldingly urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also yieldingly urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear. Preferably the single spring acts on the sear and trigger bar through the medium of a member having one end engaging the scar and the other end engaging the trigger bar. The member may be rigid or it may contribute additional resilience. Said member is preferably U-shaped and the aforesaid actuating spring is preferably disposed between the two legs of the member. In the preferred embodiment the spring for actuating the U-shaped member also actuates the hammer. Preferably a thrust member is interposed between the spring and the base of the U-shaped member and another thrust member is interposed between the springand the hammer. Each thrust member is connected with its associated part through the medium of a ball and socket connection and the U-shaped member is likewise associated with the frame of the firearm.

For the purpose of illustration atypical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a firearm with parts broken away to showv the interior mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the hammer cocked;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in I the positions which they occupy at the moment of firing; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a cylindrical receiver I, a barrel 2 threaded into the bolt.

-moving the hammer, sear the forward end of the receiver, a rear stock 4,

a fore gri 5, a magazine 6, a recoil spring 1, a sub-frame 9, a trigger ll pivoted on the receiver at l2, a trigger bar I3, a sear Mpivoted on the receiver at 15, a hammer l0 pivoted on the receiver at 26, and a firing pin Hi. The forwardend of the trigger bar hooks over a depending leg of the sear, The trigger is yieldingly urged into forward position by means of a spring 16. Movably mounted above the spring I6 is a plate 11 having a handle extending out to one side of'the fire arm. The plate has an opening (not shown) to receive a lug [9 on the trigger when the safety plate H is in firing position. By moving the plate ll until the opening is out of line with the mg 19, as shown in Fig. 1, the trigger is rendered inoperative. The breech action is disclosed in the copending application, Serial No. 494,779, filed July 15, 1943, but it will be understood that any the firing mechanism herein claimed.

As illustrated inthe drawing the hammer, scar and trigger bar are actuated by a single compression spring 2| acts on the hammer through a plunger 23 having a ball and socket connection 24 with the hammer. The spring acts on the sear and trigger bar through a U-shaped member 26 having one leg 21 pressing upwardly on the trigger bar and another leg 28 pressing upwardly on the forwardly projecting arm 29 of the sear. The base of the U-shaped member has a ball lug 32 seating in a socket in the frame and the cylinder 22 has a similar ball lug 33 seating in asocket in said base, the lug 33 being out of alignment with the lug 32 so that the thrust of the spring 2| tends to rotate the U-shaped member 26 in clockwise direction about the lug 32. The hammer is has a cam surface 36 which cams the trigger bar out of engagement with the sear as the hammer rotates from the cooked position shown in Fig.2

to the firing position shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the sear is disconnected from the trigger bar the sear is free to be returned by the spring into position to catch the hammer in cocked position when the hammer is cocked by the opening of Thus the hammer is automatically caught in cocked position whether, or not the trigger has been released.

Inasmuch as the spring-actuated parts 22, 23 and 26 are detachably associated with the other parts of the firearm, they are free to be removed merely by removing the subframe 9 without reand trigger bar. This may be accomplished merely by moving the U- automatic breech action may be used with in the cylinder 22. This spring 7 shaped member 26 slightly to the rear against the action of the spring 2| until the lug 32 clears its socket, whereupon the parts 22, 23 and 26 may be swung downwardly out of the receiver. Thus the spring may be readily replaced in case of breakage without completely disassembling the firearm.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, and a single resilient member for yieldingly urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also yieldingly urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, said member being U-shaped with one end engaging the sear and the other end engaging the trigger bar.

2. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear,means'for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, and means for yieldingly urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also yieldingly urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, said means comprising a U-shaped resilient member, one end of the member engaging the sear and the other end engaging the trigger bar.

3. 'A firearm comprising a. sear, a trigger barfor actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, means for yieldingly urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also yieldingly urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, said means comprising a U-shaped member having one end engaging the sear and the other end engaging the trigger bar, and a spring for actuating the member.

4. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, means for yieldingly urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also yieldingly, urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, said means comprising a U-shaped member having one end engaging the scar and the other end engaging the trigger bar, and a spring disposed between said ends for actuating the member.

5. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, means for yieldingly urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also yieldingly urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, said means comprising a U-shaped member having one end engaging the sear and the other end engaging the trigger bar, and a spring disposed between said ends for actuating said member and hammer.

6. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, a U-shaped member for urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, one end of said member acting on the sear and the other end acting on the trigger bar, a pivotal seat for the base of the U-shaped member, and a'compression spring disposed between said ends for actuating the hammer, the compression spring reacting against said base out of -line with said seat yieldingly to urge the ends of the U-shaped member against the sear and trigger bar respectively.

7. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, a U-shaped member for urging the sear into engagement with the hammer and also urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, one end of said member acting on the sear and the other end acting on the trigger bar, a pivotal seat for the base of the U-shaped member, a compression spring disposed between said ends for actuating the hammer, the compression spring reacting against said base out of line with said seat yieldingly to urge the ends of the U- shaped member against the sear and trigger bar respectively, and a thrust member interposed between said base and compression spring, the thrust member and base being pivotally and detachably related through the medium of a ball and socket connection.

8. A firearm comprising a sear, a trigger bar for actuating the sear, a hammer controlled by the sear, means for disengaging the trigger bar from the sear when the hammer is released from the sear, a U-shaped member for uring the sear into engagement with the hammer and also urging the trigger bar into engagement with the sear, one end of said member acting on the sear and the other end acting on the trigger bar, a pivotal seat for the base of the U-shaped member, a compression spring disposed between said ends for actuating the hammer, the compression spring reacting against said base out of line with said seat yieldingly to urge the ends of the U-shaped member against the scar and trigger bar respectively, and a thrust member interposed related with its associated part through the medium of a ball and socket connection.

JOSEPH W. NORMAN. 

